To mtjstomatik



June 18, 1929. J. G. COFFIN ET AL MUS'FARD DI SPENS ING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1926 w T Y rain?? Patented June 18, 1929.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH G. GOFFIN AND FRANKLYN LI. SILVERSTEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS T0 MUSTOIVIATIK SPECIALTIES, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MUSTARD-DISPENSING DEVICE.

Application 7 filed June 21,

This invention relates to a device for dispensing mustard or other substance of like nature and has for its object to provide an article of this character which will obviate the use of the insanitary containers in use at the present time. It is well known that in restaurants, refreshment stands and. other places, mustard is usually contained in open ars or similar containers which permit the air to reach the contents and cause the mustard to thicken or corrode about the mouth of the jar, at the same time permitting dirt and dustto have free access to the contents. These conditions usually cause the mustard container to assume an encrusted, insa-nitary and unappctizing a ppcar ance.

It is the object therefore, of our invention to provide a container from which a desired amount of mustard can be dispensed when required and in which the contents of the container are kept covered and unaffected by air or exterior conditions.

It is well understood that it is extremely ditlicult to dispense mustard in the small amounts required for use upon sandwiches, sausages and the like, as the same is extremely adherent and does not flow very freely. Through the use of our invention however, positive feeding means is presented which forces the mustard out of its container in the proper amounts for application to the article of food.

Our improved. container is found particularly desirable and useful at refreshmentstands and restaurants where sausages, sandwiches and the like are sold as it permits the m stard to be directly applied in the right quantities to the articles, obviating the use of insanitary mustard encrusted spoons, sticks or the like.

lVith these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, in view, we have devised the particular arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and more definitely pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Reference to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of our improved container and its operating parts;

Fi ure 2 is a similar sectional elevation of the piston chamber and a part of the piston.

valve mechanism therefor;

1326. Serial No. 117,244.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on. the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure lis a sectional view of a part of the piston, showing a modified form of valve;

Figure 5 is a view of the underside of the piston and valve therefor showing the mechanism disclosed in Figure l;

Figure 6 is a further modification of the valve mechanism for the piston;

'Figure 7 a view of the underside of the construction shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a further modification of the valve mechanism.

'llhroughout the various views of the drawing, similar reference characters designate similar parts.

In the embodiment of our invention disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, 1 indicates the body of the vessel which for sanitary purposes may be made of glass, porcelain, china or some similar material. The vessel is preferably covered by asuitable cover 2 which may be of metal or of the same material as the body of the vessel 1 and said cover 2 is provided with a central opening through which a tubular piston member 4 is adapted to move. The lower end of the vessel. is contracted considerably to provide a narrow tubular chamber 3, the lower end of which is provided with a sn'iall outlet opening or perforation 10, through which the contents of the vessel is adapted to be ejected for application to an article of food.

. The piston at has its lower part extending into the chamber 3 as it is slidable therein to feed the mustard into the lower part of the chamber 3 for subsequent ejection by a reverse movement of the piston. l. Said piston l: is, as was heretofore stated, tubular in constriustion, having a central. bore 5. A. series of openings or perforations 6 extend through the walls of the piston and thus enter into the central bore 5, mustard being fed through these perforations into the cen tral bore and out of the lower end thereof into the lower part of the chamber 3, for subsequent ejection therefrom as will be hereinafter explained.

Mounted in the lower end of the bore 5 of the piston lis a suitable valve :knech snism consisting of a ball 8 which, when valve is in a closed position, rests against a seat 7. At the extreme lower end of the piston are provided a plurality of inwardly extending projections 9 which act merely to prevent the ball from falling out of the end'of the piston, thus holding the ball within a cage and permitting it to be shifted either against the seat 7 or against the projections 9 by the pressure of the mustard as will be explained hereinafter.

From the foregoing, the mode of operation of the construction disclosed in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, will be readily apparent. The piston 4 is preferably provided at its upper end with a knob or handle so that it may be pressed down and it can if desired, be provided with a spring to effect a reverse upward movement. If desired, no spring may be used and the piston can be raised or lowered or in other words, reciprocated by the individual using the device.

It will be seen that when the piston is moved upwardly under the impulse of a spring, or if no spring is used, by hand, the valve or ball 8 will be caused to assume the position shown in Figure 2 or in other words, will rest upon the projections 9 on the lower end of the piston 4. hen in this position, it will be seen that asthe piston is moved upwardly, mustard is forced through the perforations 6 and into the bore 5 of the piston. It is forced therethrough as diagrammatically indicated in Figure2 and passes down past the ball 8 through the openings 12 located between the projections 9 on the lower end of the piston and from thence down into the lower part of the chamher 3 below the piston. The mustard in the lower part of the chamber is indicated at 11 in Figure 1.

\Vhen the user desires to apply mustard to an article of food which he holds below the outlet opening 10, he presses the upper end of the piston 4, causing the same to act as a plunger and force out the mustard 11 as indicated in Figure 1.

It will be seen that when the piston begins its downward movement, the valve member or ball 8 is forced up against its seat 7 by the pressure of'the mustard 11 below it so that the lower end of the piston is thus closed and it acts as a plunger to force out the mustard through the outlet opening 10.

The outlet opening '10 is preferably extremely small and as mustard flows exceptionally sluggishly, no valve for closing the opening 10 is required. Additionally, the opening 10 is preferably located in a thick wall of the vessel so that said opening is of considerable depth and this aids in the pumping action of the device as well as causes the correct amount of mustard to ooze out from the opening under the downward pressure of the piston.

The valve mechanism in the piston may be modified in several ways, one of said modifications being shown in Figures 4 and 5 wherein a disk 13 freely movable upon downwardly projecting pins l t is used. ()11 the upward movement of the piston, the disk 13 is in the position shown in Figure a so that mustard can readily pass from the central bore 5 of the piston and out of the space between the disk 13 and the bottom of the piston to the lower part of the chamber When the piston moves dmvnwardly in the chamber 3, the disk 13 would be caused, by pressure of the mustard beneath it, to cover the central bore 5 and thus form a closed bottom on the piston.

Another modification of the valve incch anism is disclosed in Figures 6 and 7 wherein the valve consists of a flexible flap 15 which has its end held in a slot 16 in the lower end of the piston and this flap can be flexed downwardly when the piston is moved upwardly and can be brought to bear against its seat 17 when the piston is moved downwardly.

In Figure 8 is shown a still further modification of my invention and in the construction therein shown, the container or vessel 1 is provided with a contracted part having an open lower end as at 18. A delivery spout or nozzle 19 is located within the opening 18 in the vessel 1 and is fitted snugly therein by means of a packing or gasket 20. The spout 19 has a central bore 21 within which a piston member 24 is movable. Said piston 241 is in the form of a tubular member having elongated openings 25 in its side walls and it is securely fixed to a rod 23 at its upper end.

The rod 23 forms the actuating member for the piston and it extends upwardly through the vessel as was heretofore described.

At 26 is a stem or wire which is secure; to the end of the rod 23 and said stem or wire extends downwardly through the central bore of the piston member 21 and projects out of the bottom of the stem for some distance. Said wire 26 projects downwardly into the delivery opening 22 as shown at 30, which delivery opening is formed in the spent 19 and said projecting part 30 on the wire acts to keep the delivery opening 22 clear.

At 28 is a stop fixed upon the wire 22 and which limits the movement of a disk or valve member 27, freely movable on the wire. Downward movement of the stop is limited by means of the seat 29 provided on the inside of the spout 19.

Many other modifications of my invention may be made and the valve mechanism at the lower end of the piston may be modified in many other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention.

It will also be seen that the construction of the device is such that the contents of the vessel are completely enclosed and there is no possibility for any parts of the device to be encrusted or corroded by mustard, affording an article Which is not only extremely sanitary in appearance, but in actual use.

Having described our invention, What We claim is:

A device of the class described comprising a mustard. vessel having a portion of reduced diameter forming a piston chamber, an outlet opening in said chamber, a tubular piston member movable in said chamber, a plurality of elongated slots in the Walls of said piston member, a valve-supporting member passing through the piston and extending 1 below the same, a Valve supported thereon, said valve-supporting member projecting below the piston and entering the outlet opening to clear the same on movement of the piston.

Signed at the city, county, and State of New York, this 19th day of April, 1926.

JOSEPH Gr. COFFIN. FRANKLYN M.- SILVERSTEIN. 

